81st Kisei Match Game 3

[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Kisei"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[Event "81st Kisei-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "June 26th 2010"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:00:00
3.P2g-2f     00:02:00  00:00:00
4.G4a-3b     00:02:00  00:00:00
5.P2f-2e     00:04:00  00:00:00
6.B2bx8h+    00:04:00  00:00:00
7.S7ix8h     00:04:00  00:00:00
8.S3a-2b     00:04:00  00:00:00
9.S3i-4h     00:06:00  00:00:00
10.S7a-6b    00:06:00  00:02:00
11.P3g-3f    00:07:00  00:02:00
12.S2b-3c    00:07:00  00:02:00
13.S4h-3g    00:08:00  00:02:00
14.P6c-6d    00:08:00  00:02:00
15.S3g-4f    00:12:00  00:02:00
16.S6b-6c    00:12:00  00:02:00
17.K5i-6h    00:12:00  00:02:00
18.P4c-4d    00:12:00  00:05:00
19.K6h-7h    00:15:00  00:05:00
20.R8b-4b    00:15:00  00:29:00

Diagram 1

Habu has a 2-0 lead, so he has no reason to change anything. Therefore, the point 
of this game would be Fukaura's opening strategy. He picked the Kakugawari with tempo 
loss. Habu countered with the popular silver push to 4f which is an aggressive strategy. 
Fukaura doesn't shy away from sharp opening strategies (as we saw in game 2), but here 
he goes for the defensive 20.R4b. This forces the black silver back into its own 
position after 21.P5f P4e S5g (as played in this game). After this, black has no strong 
attacking strategy and will continue to strengthen his position, for example by building 
a Silver Crown formation (as Habu does in this game). For white the issues of the position 
are the closeness of the rook and king and the fact that the two general pairs are
separated. 

21.P5g-5f    00:23:00  00:29:00
22.P4d-4e    00:23:00  00:34:00
23.S4f-5g    00:23:00  00:34:00
24.P7c-7d    00:23:00  00:34:00
25.P8g-8f    00:24:00  00:34:00
26.G6a-7b    00:24:00  00:39:00
27.S8h-8g    00:26:00  00:39:00
28.N8a-7c    00:26:00  00:40:00
29.N8i-7g    00:27:00  00:40:00
30.K5a-4a    00:27:00  00:50:00
31.K7h-8h    00:29:00  00:50:00
32.K4a-3a    00:29:00  00:53:00
33.G6i-7h    00:30:00  00:53:00
34.P8c-8d    00:30:00  00:54:00
35.P9g-9f    00:45:00  00:54:00
36.P6d-6e    00:45:00  00:59:00

Diagram 2

37.P9f-9e?   00:55:00  00:59:00

After the game, Habu said that he regretted this push on the edge. It seems to give 
black a small but significant advantage, because the black king has more space to run, 
but the upcoming white attack with S6d followed by P7e and P8e is too strong. Habu said 
he should have played 37.B*3g here to deny the white silver the square 6d. If then 
38.P9d G5h R4a G5h-6h and "Now the issue is whether black runs out of moves or not, 
but in this type of position the Silver Crown is strong." (Habu).

38.S6c-6d    00:55:00  01:02:00
39.G4i-5h    01:01:00  01:02:00
40.G7b-6c    01:01:00  01:03:00
41.N2i-3g    01:13:00  01:03:00
42.P7d-7e    01:13:00  01:25:00
43.P7fx7e    01:16:00  01:25:00
44.P8d-8e    01:16:00  01:25:00
45.P8fx8e    01:17:00  01:25:00
46.S6dx7e    01:17:00  01:38:00
47.P*7f      01:18:00  01:38:00
48.P*8f      01:18:00  01:38:00
49.P7fx7e    01:19:00  01:38:00
50.P8fx8g+   01:19:00  01:38:00
51.G7hx8g    01:19:00  01:38:00
52.S*3i      01:19:00  01:44:00
53.R2h-2f    01:30:00  01:44:00
54.N7cx8e    01:30:00  01:52:00
55.P3f-3e    01:31:00  01:52:00
56.N8ex7g+   01:31:00  02:03:00
57.K8hx7g    01:32:00  02:03:00

Diagram 3

58.P*7f?     01:32:00  02:15:00

Up until this point Fukaura has played the attack very well. There is not much left 
of the strong black castle, but Fukaura has to be careful, because if his attack 
runs out of steam, the silver on 3i will be very painful. 58.P*7f is too greedy, 
going for the final defending general. Correct was 58.B*4d, which forces black to 
drop back the bishop on 5e, because 59.N*5e fails to P5d. Therefore, 59.B*5e but 
then 60.Bx3e R2i N*6d Rx3i P5d wins the bishop. Black can get two pieces for one 
by playing Bx3c+ here, but this is an unusual case where this is not good enough, 
because the bishop drop on 4d is too strong.

59.G8gx7f    01:41:00  02:15:00
60.N*6d      01:41:00  02:15:00
61.N*5e      01:47:00  02:15:00
62.G6c-5d    01:47:00  02:31:00
63.B*6a!     02:00:00  02:31:00

Diagram 4

Strong attack in Habu's typical flexible style. This bishop doesn't look very powerful, 
but it hits the white soft spot on 4c perfectly.

64.B*4d      02:00:00  02:54:00
65.P2e-2d!   02:19:00  02:54:00

Essential follow-up. This makes sure the white king cannot escape into the castle.

66.P2cx2d    02:19:00  02:55:00
67.P*2c      02:21:00  02:55:00

The point. White cannot take this pawn because the gold on 3b cannot leave the defense 
of 4c.

68.R4b-8b    02:21:00  03:07:00
69.P*8d      02:23:00  03:07:00
70.R8b-6b    02:23:00  03:11:00
71.B6a-8c+   02:26:00  03:11:00
72.G5dx5e    02:26:00  03:11:00
73.P5fx5e    02:28:00  03:11:00
74.B4dx5e    02:28:00  03:11:00
75.P6g-6f    02:28:00  03:11:00
76.B5ex3g+   02:28:00  03:12:00
77.+B8c-7c   02:34:00  03:12:00
78.R6b-4b    02:34:00  03:13:00
79.R2f-1f    02:41:00  03:13:00
80.P*7b      02:41:00  03:20:00

Diagram 5

81.+B7c-5a   02:51:00  03:20:00

This allows white to finally take the gold on 7f, but Habu has seen that his king cannot 
be caught and that his attack is stronger.

82.N6dx7f    02:51:00  03:20:00
83.S*5b      03:03:00  03:20:00

Threatens mate starting with G*4a.

84.G*4a      03:03:00  03:21:00

Drop where your opponent wants to drop, but it is not enough to save the white position.

85.S5bx4a+   03:06:00  03:21:00
86.R4bx4a    03:06:00  03:21:00
87.+B5ax4a   03:06:00  03:21:00
88.K3ax4a    03:06:00  03:21:00
89.G*6c!     03:07:00  03:21:00

Accurate until the end. This gold looks a bit far away from the king, but white is 
threatening to escape up the board with K5b-K4c, which is prevented by G*6c.

90.G3b-4b    03:07:00  03:39:00
91.P3ex3d    03:09:00  03:39:00
92.S*8h      03:09:00  03:41:00
93.K7g-8f    03:16:00  03:41:00
94.P*8e      03:16:00  03:50:00
95.K8fx8e    03:16:00  03:50:00
96.N*7c      03:16:00  03:53:00
97.K8e-7d    03:17:00  03:53:00
98.S3cx3d    03:17:00  03:53:00
99.P2c-2b+   03:22:00  03:53:00
100.B*8e     03:22:00  03:53:00
101.K7d-8c   03:22:00  03:53:00
102.B8ex6c   03:22:00  03:53:00
103.R*6a     03:22:00  03:53:00
104.N*5a     03:22:00  03:53:00
105.R6ax9a+  03:22:00  03:53:00
106.+B3g-5e  03:22:00  03:54:00
107.G*6b     03:25:00  03:54:00
108.G*5b     03:25:00  03:56:00
109.G6bx6c   03:25:00  03:56:00
110.G5bx6c   03:25:00  03:56:00
111.P*5b     03:26:00  03:56:00
Resigns      03:26:00  03:58:00

Final Diagram

Habu has managed to get an entering king, and this pawn drop leaves white without 
defense. The simple threat is of course +Rx5a mate, but white has no good defense. 
112.Kx5b B*6a K6b Bx3d+ or 112.Gx5b B*3b K4b Bx2a+ are both easy wins for black. 
Fukaura must have seen this immediately, but he still took two minutes to resign. 
He must have been very disappointed with himself to lose the match in straight games 
after taking Habu to seven games in the last three matches they played (two Oi matches 
and an Osho match, winning the Oi match twice). Habu, on the other hand, takes his 
third straight Kisei title (9 overall) and edges closer to Oyama's all-time record of 
80 major titles. Habu now has appeared in exactly 100 major title matches, winning 77 
of them.